Using Synonyms

By using the SYNONYM and the SET ABBREV commands, you can control what command names, synonyms, or truncations are valid in CMS. For example, you could create a file named MYSYN SYNONYM that contains the following records: 
PRINT    PRT    1
RELEASE  LETGO  4
FILELIST FL     2
The first column specifies an existing CMS command, module, or exec name. The second column specifies the alternate name or synonym that you want to use. The third column is a count field that indicates the minimum number of characters of the synonym that can be used to truncate the name. You can use PRT, LETGO, and FL in place of the corresponding CMS command names after you enter the command: 
synonym mysyn
The ABBREV function allows you to use the information in the third column of the record. The ABBREV function is in effect by default, but you may insure it is on by entering the SET ABBREV ON command. This function allows you to truncate any of your synonyms to the minimum number of characters specified in the third or last column. For example, you could enter P for PRINT or LETG for RELEASE. To load your synonym table at the beginning of every terminal session, enter the SYNONYM MYSYN command (or your own synonym table name) into your PROFILE EXEC.
Note:
  1. An exec procedure having a synonym defined for it can be loaded by its synonym if implied EXEC (IMPEX) function is on. However, within an exec procedure, only the exec file name can be used. A synonym for an exec is not recognized within an exec, because the synonym tables are not searched during exec processing.
  2. You cannot define translations or translation synonyms using the SYNONYM command. Translations must be defined in the Definition Language for Command Syntax (DLCS) file. You can truncate any translation, or translation synonym, to the minimum number of characters specified in the count field of the record if you entered SET ABBREV ON. For more information about DLCS, see z/VM: CMS Commands and Utilities Reference and z/VM: CMS Application Development Guide.
  3. If either TAPE or VMFPLC2 is a synonym of the other, the synonym may not be used to call that function from within an exec. You may use any name other than TAPE or VMFPLC2 as a synonym of the other function. For example, from within an exec, TAPE is not a valid synonym for VMFPLC2; TAP, however, would be valid.